Insa Marie Schmidt, MD, MPH

2023 Carl W. Gottschalk Research Scholar Grant

Institution: Boston University School of Medicine

Project Title: A Deep Learning Framework for the Automated Assessment of Kidney Pathology and Prognosis

How would you sum up your research in one sentence? 

My research focuses on improving outcomes in patients with CKD through the development of new diagnostic tools such as identifying and validating new biomarkers of kidney histopathology and prognosis.

Provide a brief overview of the research you will conduct with help from the grant. 

Building on my previous work, this research will use machine learning approaches to combine rich data from multiple sources, including digital kidney pathology, biomarkers, and clinical information, to improve clinical disease phenotyping and outcome prediction for patients with CKD.

What inspired you to focus your research in this area? 

Artificial intelligence and machine learning are transforming virtually every facet of our lives, including medical care. While we need to be aware of their ethical implications, I believe there is great potential to utilize AI/ML in nephrology practice and kidney research, for example, to improve access to kidney pathology expertise or enhance clinicians' capacity.

What impact do you hope your research will have on patients? 

I hope that my research will contribute to the discovery of novel diagnostics and therapeutic strategies to advance care for patients with kidney disease.

What are your career goals at the end of the grant period? Five years out? Ten years out? 

At the end of the grant period, I hope to transition to become an independent investigator with expertise in combining data science and epidemiologic research tools. In the next five to ten years, I hope that my research can have an impact on clinical care.

What advice would you give to others to encourage them to apply for this grant funding? 

I would encourage future applicants to identify an area of expertise where they may need additional training and which can be applied to a wide range of problems in kidney research.

Something you may not know about me is… 

In addition to kidney epidemiology and clinical research, I am also very interested in exploring nephrology research and clinical care at the intersection with the social sciences and humanities.

In my free time, I like to… 

Read, travel, spend time with family and friends, and indulge in nature walks, ornithology, and bird watching.